Lath-holder



(No Model.)

T. P. KINNEY. LATH HOLDER.

Patented Nov. 10,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TIMOTHY P. KINNEY, OF \VINDSOR, CONNECTICUT.

LATH-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,9'7'7,dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed May '7, 1891. Serial No. 391,872. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY P. KINNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Windsor, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lath Holders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in lath-holders for the use of tobacco-growers; and the object of my improvement is to pro duce a cheap and substantial holder that will firmly hold laths of varying sizes for either putting the tobacco upon the lath or for stripping it off.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my holder, together with a portion of a lath as held therein. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of said holder; and Fig. 3 is a plan View of the main portion of said holder, with the rear socket in horizontal section on line 00 0c of Fig. 1.

A designates the base of my holder, which may be provided with screw-holes or otherwise be adapted for securing it firmly to any suitable support. At the rear end of said base is a socket 4, bridged over at the top and having tapering side walls, with the widest space between toward the front. At the forward part of the base there are two vertical lugs 5 5, one upon each side, the space between them being gradually contracted as it approaches the base.

B designates a portion of a lath as firmly held within said holder. This lath is inserted by first crowding its extreme end into the socket 4 until it is firmly pressed between the tapering side walls of said socket, the body of the lath between the lugs 5 meanwhile being held elevated so high as not to be pinched by said lugs. As soon, however, as the end of the lath is firmly seated in the socket 4 the body of the lath is lowered, so as to crowd its lower edge firmly between the contracted space toward the bottom part of said lugs, whereby the lath is held firmly in a lateral direction at the top of said socket.

by the socket 4 and the lugs 5, while itis'supported vertically at the lower edge between the lugs 5 and prevented from tilting thereon either by the pressure against the sidle Walls 4, in case it is very firmly crowded therein, or, incase it should slip vertically a little within said socket 4, it is finally stopped from tilting by contact with the bridge orcovering It is evident that the lath is thus firmly held, so that apoint or needle may be slipped upon its opposite end and the lath threaded through the tobaccostalks ready for hanging. The lath may be readily removed by first lifting it out of the lugs 5 and then pulling it out of the socket 4. For stripping the tobacco from the lath one end may be again inserted in the holder and pressed firmly in between the lugs 5, when the friction of the lath upon the holder will be sufficient to hold the lath in stripping the tobacco therefrom.

The holder is sfiinple and easily understood, can be produced at a small cost, is in. a very compact and convenient "form, and it will hold laths of varying sizes.

I am aware thata prior patent shows a lathholder consisting of a baseplate, a rear tapering socket widening toward the front, and a pair of hinged clamping-jaws in front of said rear socket, the vertical holding-faces of said jaws being fluted and parallel, and the same is hereby disclaime'd.

I claim as my invention The herein-described lath-holder, consisting of a base, arear tapering socket widening toward the front, and the front vertical lugs, with a space between them gradually contracted as it approaches said base, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

TIMOTHY P. KINNEY.

Witnesses:

A. L. BRIGGS, C. M. SPENCER. 

